Optimized virtual reality-based Method of Loci memorization techniques through increased immersion and effective memory palace designs: a feasibility study

For most, an improvement in memory would always be desirable, whether from the point of view of an aging individual with declining memory, or from the perspective of someone seeking to memorize large amounts of information in the shortest period of time. One way for people to improve upon their memory performance is by using the Method of Loci (MoL), a famously complex, ancient memorization technique for non-spatial information recall. With the use of virtual reality technology, this technique can finally be easily taught to individuals for use in their daily lives. In this paper, we present an exploration into this avenue of using MoL in virtual reality and report on the design and evaluation of our new virtual memory palace that aims to prove the feasibility of improving upon designs from other studies to optimize memory recall performance. An experiment was conducted to evaluate our VR MoL environment. The results from week 1 on the pre-test (M = 62.55, SD = 24.01) and post-test (M = 82.91, SD = 15.99) memory task showed an increase in the number of words remembered was statistically significant, t(20) = -2.34, p = 0.014 where participants were able to remember approximately 20.4% more non-spatial information, when compared to traditional memorization techniques. After a second use, participants improved, remembering 22.2% more non-spatial information on the pre-test (M = 63.44, SD = 26.64) and post-test (M = 85.67, SD = 16.10) memory task, indicating that the increase in number of words remembered was statistically significant, t(16) = -2.142, p = 0.024. The results suggest that the virtual memory palace experience could be optimized to help participants learn the MoL technique with very little training time and potentially produce significant improvements in recall performance as a result.